By Thomas Gerbasi

Yuri Foreman’s pro debut was unlike any other you’ve probably witnessed. At the Park Central Hotel in Manhattan on January 24, 2002, the native of Belarus blasted out Israel Felix in a single round, and while that was impressive, it wasn’t the interesting part.

What made longtime fight observers look on in amazement was the aftermath of the bout, when Foreman was mobbed - not only by the usual members of the fight crowd - but by members of the Hasidic community, all who wanted to congratulate their new hero. Simply put, it was bedlam, and all the sport’s power brokers who showed up to the club show that night wanted a piece of the former Golden Gloves champion who they figured would soar up the ranks and become that most rare and marketable of fighters – a Jewish world champion.

That was over seven years ago. On Saturday night, Foreman will finally challenge for a world title when he takes on Daniel Santos for the WBA junior middleweight crown, but even though the 29-year old has watched dozens of fighters get their shot before he has, despite a perfect 27-0 (8 KOs) record, he holds no ill will towards the sport, and has nothing bad to say about waiting so long.

“I was not really concerned about those things,” said Foreman. “I just tried to always be focused on my goal, no matter how long it was gonna take. I knew that the hard work I put in the gym was gonna pay off one day, sooner or later. It’s been a while in the professional ranks since 2002, and the journey was good, not so shaky and bumpy, but it was not easy.”

Nothing that takes seven years is easy, especially considering that Foreman wasn’t blessed with the jaw-dropping punching power that can make moving up the ranks a lot easier and faster. Arturo Gatti he’s not, but Foreman is a solid craftsman, one who has paid his dues in a game where who you’re connected to or how quick you are on Twitter can do more for you than learning your craft in tough fights.

But patience has become a virtue for Foreman, who now makes his home with his wife in Brooklyn, and it’s something no doubt aided by his studies to become a rabbi. But where his stoic nature may have found its true origin was back in Gomel, where he learned quickly that the most important aspect of his life – in and out of sports – had to be discipline.

“From a really young age, when we had sport classes, discipline was one of the most important things,” he said. “The teachers would punish us if there was joking around and they always demanded focus and discipline. Then when my mom sent me to the boxing gym in the Soviet Union in ’88, it was the same thing. Discipline was one of the main things, especially for young kids and the group of boxers I was in. So I think since then, it’s imprinted in me.”

Moving to Israel at the age of 11 steeled him even further, especially when homesickness snuck in and discrimination and suicide bombings were daily threats. As he told me in 2003, “It was difficult for the first couple of years. I was 11 years old when we moved to Israel and I was missing my friends, my grandma. Sometimes there was discrimination between Russians and the Jews. The Russians were also Jewish but the Israeli people would call us Russians and say that we don’t deserve to be there, and there would be fights in school between the immigrants and the Israelis. But it was all right. Sometimes it was hard with the suicide bombings, but after so many, it becomes kind of normal. People are sad for one day and they just continue to do their things every day.”

When Foreman said it, he did so in a matter of fact manner, as if what he survived was simply the cost of growing up. But it shows a toughness and a maturity that is lacking in a lot of prizefighters these days, and makes it laughable when some criticize his fighting style or question his heart. Yuri Foreman has survived a lot rougher situations than a 10 round boxing match, and when you look at his career, you’ll see that when he’s gotten into close fights where one round could swing the outcome, he’s always found a way to win. That’s tough, that’s old school, and it’s going to come in handy should he find any trouble with the veteran Santos this weekend.

“I think those tough fights that I had, those close fights, were good preparation for this fight coming up,” said Foreman. “I know if something doesn’t go my way or if it gets too tough in the beginning, I know that I have the strength to hang on and make things go my way.”

He did it in 2002 when he was dropped for the first time as a pro by George Armenta and roared back to win, in his controversial split decision victory over Anthony Thompson in 2007, and in an equally tough bout with Andrey Tsurkan six months later. But after those two close calls, Foreman seems to have upped his game, easily turning back Saul Roman, Vinroy Barrett, and James Moore, before a headbutt-induced cut forced a halt to his June bout with Cornelius Bundrage.

Yet while Foreman has stayed relatively busy, the same can’t be said for Puerto Rico’s Santos, who has only fought once in each of the last three years, with his last bout being a sixth round knockout of Joachim Alcine in July of 2008. The 34-year old is still dangerous though, something Foreman is well aware of.

“I’m keeping Santos in my mind as if he’s on top of his game,” he said. “There are a few people telling me ‘oh, he’s old, he hasn’t fought in almost two years,’ but I’m not concerned about that. I know there are fighters that take a two, three year layoff and they come back and have a great performance. So maybe the layoff kept them fresh. I just want to do my thing in there and hopefully win the fight.”

The last time Foreman was in Las Vegas, he put on one of his more impressive performances, as he scored a near shutout decision win over Jesus Valverde in June of 2006. But in typical Foreman fashion, he’s not putting too much stock in already having hit big in Vegas as he returns to Sin City this week.

“I’m not superstitious, and even if it is Las Vegas, it’s going to be a different location,” he laughs, referring to the change from the Thomas and Mack Center for the Valverde fight to the MGM Grand for the Santos bout. “As professional athletes, we just have to do our thing. Even if you don’t feel a hundred percent or don’t like the location, you have to perform.”

And truth be told, he is kinda excited about performing on the sport’s biggest stage this weekend.

“It’s a great opportunity for me and a great honor to fight on such a big card, so I’m looking forward to it and praying to God that it’s gonna be a good fight,” he said.

As for the pressure of having seven years of work crystallized into one 36 minute fight, as well as having the opportunity to become that most rare and marketable of fighters (there’s that phrase again) - a Jewish world champion, he’s fine with it, and he certainly has the support of the community behind him.

“There’s a lot of young Jewish people who are very positive and very supportive,” he said. “I get emails, letters of support, and it’s very, very nice. I see that there’s been a positive effect of being a boxer and Jewish, and people appreciate and support what I’m doing, and that’s very, very important to me.”

But on Saturday night, Yuri Foreman is going to have to break from form and decide to be a little selfish. Saturday night is for him, and it’s his chance to become a world champion. It’s the only thing on his mind right now, yet when you ask him if he’s cleared some room in his suitcase for the championship belt, he breaks into a smile.

“You know what, there’s always space,” he said, “but I’m probably not gonna put it in the suitcase if, God willing, I win. I’m just gonna put it on my chest, and this is how I’m gonna walk.”